Banner Elk, NC has one higher education school within its city limits. Lees-McRae College has a total student population of 906. It is the 3566th highest ranked school in the USA and the 63rd highest in the state of North Carolina (#1 is Duke University). Banner Elk lies in Avery county, which is one of the 64 counties in North Carolina. The Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area area has 195,830 total employed workers according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a 0.9% unemployment rate, $15.74/hr average worker wage, and a $32,740 average annual salary.
Of the schools in Banner Elk, none have a student population over 10k. After taking into account tuition, living expenses, and financial aid, Lees-McRae College comes out as the most expensive ($14,050/yr).
Popular Bars in Banner Elk:| Name | State | Population | # of Schools | Avg School Rank | Total Programs | Distance from Banner Elk |
| Elizabethton | TN | - | 1 | 27.8719 | 17 | 22.9 miles |
| Hickory | NC | 42,082 | 2 | 18.4574 | 166 | 42.1 miles |
| Emory | VA | - | 1 | 59.2251 | 85 | 42.2 miles |
| Asheville | NC | 75,836 | 3 | 28.8268 | 140 | 55.9 miles |
| Statesville | NC | - | 1 | 10.6088 | 63 | 61.1 miles |
| Dobson | NC | - | 1 | 13.9158 | 60 | 66.1 miles |
| Mooresville | NC | - | 2 | 20.4244 | 6 | 71.7 miles |
| Gastonia | NC | 75,340 | 1 | 28.6194 | 5 | 74.4 miles |
| Belmont | NC | - | 2 | 36.2771 | 82 | 79.0 miles |
| Brevard | NC | - | 1 | 17.072 | 34 | 80.5 miles |
| Tigerville | SC | - | 1 | 63.4383 | 50 | 80.7 miles |
| Bluefield | VA | - | 2 | 20.0455 | 75 | 82.4 miles |
| Kannapolis | NC | 44,672 | 0 | - | 0 | 84.2 miles |
| Spartanburg | SC | 40,665 | 7 | 35.0859 | 216 | 84.7 miles |
| Salisbury | NC | - | 6 | 27.3664 | 241 | 85.4 miles |
| Charlotte | NC | 723,514 | 18 | 27.5295 | 455 | 88.7 miles |
| Winston Salem | NC | - | 7 | 32.3218 | 230 | 91.0 miles |
| Rock Hill | SC | 72,341 | 5 | 30.0256 | 144 | 97.0 miles |
| Pikeville | KY | - | 1 | 15.7147 | 37 | 97.8 miles |
| Radford | VA | - | 1 | 30.9064 | 73 | 98.3 miles |